For decades, insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor insecticide spraying programs have been important and widely successful means of controlling mosquitoes that transmit malaria, a devastating global disease. But for a time, these treatments also suppressed unwanted house insects such as bed bugs, cockroaches and flies.
Now, a new North Carolina State University study that reviews the scientific literature on indoor pest control finds that as house insects become resistant to mosquito-targeting insecticides, the return of bed bugs, cockroaches and flies to homes is causing public concern and concern. causes concern. Often, failure to use these treatments results in increased incidence of malaria.
In short, bed nets and insecticide treatments are very effective at preventing mosquito bites (and therefore malaria), but are increasingly seen as causing a resurgence of household pests.
“These insecticide-treated bed nets are not designed to kill household pests like bed bugs, but they are really good at it,” said Chris Hayes, a student at North Carolina State University and author of a paper describing the work. . “It’s something that people really like, but pesticides are no longer effective against household pests.”
“Off-target effects are usually harmful, but in this case they were beneficial,” said Koby Schaal, the Brandon Whitmire Distinguished Professor of Entomology at NC State and co-author of the paper.
“The value to people is not necessarily the reduction of malaria, but the eradication of other pests,” Hayes added. “There may be a link between the use of these bed nets and widespread insecticide resistance in these household pests, at least in Africa. right.”
The researchers added that other factors such as famine, war, urban-rural divide and population movements may also contribute to the rise in malaria incidence.
To write the review, Hayes scoured the scientific literature for studies of household pests such as bed bugs, cockroaches and fleas, as well as articles on malaria, bed nets, pesticides and indoor pest control. The search identified more than 1,200 articles, which after an exhaustive peer review process were narrowed down to 28 peer-reviewed articles that met the required criteria.
One study (a survey of 1,000 households in Botswana conducted in 2022) found that while 58% of people are most concerned about mosquitoes in their homes, over 40% are most concerned about cockroaches and flies.
Hayes said a recent article published after a review in North Carolina found that people blame mosquito nets for the presence of bedbugs.
“Ideally there are two ways,” Schaal said. “One is to use a two-pronged approach: mosquito treatments and separate urban pest control methods that target the pests. Another is to find new malaria control tools that also target these household pests. For example, the base of a bed net can be treated against cockroaches and other chemicals found in bed bugs.
“If you add something to your bed net that repels pests, you can reduce the stigma around bed nets.”
Further information: Review of the impact of home vector control on household pests: good intentions defy harsh reality, Proceedings of the Royal Society.
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Post time: Sep-18-2024